Count It All Joy

In March one of my dearest YOU friends stopped by my house.  As she entered I could tell she was moving slowly and experiencing pain.  She also had some marks on her face.  As I prepared our tea and set out some snack food she began to tell me what was wrong.

 She has been a believer for about a year… but held off telling her parents.  She was sincerely hoping that the changes in her heart would be obvious through her actions and increased love for her family.  Her younger brother and sister had both asked her about the change in her life and she had started to share about Jesus.

 One day, her brother was in trouble at home for something he had down at school.  In an attempt to turn his parents’ anger away from himself, he yelled “well, Marihba has abandoned the faith… she has converted to a foreign religion”.  His plan worked.  For many days my friend’s father beat her till she was black and blue.  One day she came to my house and told me what had happened; I cried and could physically feel my soul becoming more and more down cast, but he told me to put my hope in the LORD.

She picked up my YOU company of the word and turned to James1:2 “Count it pure joy my brother when you face trails of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  What an amazing young woman; her faith allows her to be in pain and take joy in it.